Russian President Putin Moves Troops Into Eastern Ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered troops into parts of eastern Ukraine in a move the Kremlin calls a ‘peacekeeping’ mission. It’s unclear if the Russian Troop movements marked the beginning of an invasion of Ukraine that western leaders have warned about. The order came hours after Putin signed documents recognizing the independence of Moscow-backed regions. At a meeting yesterday evening, U.S. Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield told an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council that Putin’s recognition of the pro-Moscow regions was an ‘attempt to create a pretext for further invasion.’ She also said Putin’s claim that Russian forces are entering those regions as ‘peacekeepers’ is ‘nonsense.’ Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky addressed his nation early today saying Russia’s actions violate the country’s ‘national integrity and sovereignty’ and Ukraine’s international borders will ‘remain as such.’ Zelensky said “We are on our land. We are not afraid of anything and anyone. We don’t owe anything to anyone, and we will not give away anything to anyone. And we are confident of this.”